Heartbeat
by AMayes
Summary: ONE-SHOT. I wanted more of Edward bonding with his daughter. So I filled in a bit from Breaking Dawn. Sort of fluffy.


**Hi, I'm suffering from insomnia and typed this out pretty quickly. It's a one-shot taking place right after Bella's change begins. It probably contains some inconsistencies. Sorry! Also, I didn't address Jacob's imprint as I wanted to focus more on Edward and Renesmee. Hope you like it.**

**Heartbeat**

A heartbeat. Faint but there. I continued to pump Bella's chest, listening as her heart started a regular rhythm. Finally, convinced that her heart would beat on its own, I stopped, keeping my hands close to her body should her heart falter. Sure enough the beat continued, getting stronger, pushing my venom through her veins. Ensuring that she was soon to be one of us. Yet, she wasn't moving. Was something wrong? I smoothed back Bella's hair from her sweat and bloodstained face. Not a flicker.

"Bella." I murmured, close to her ear. "Bella love, can you hear me?"

No response. I sat at her side, I don't know how long, until someone interrupted.

_Edward, she's going to be fine. Don't start moping now_. Her thoughts barely preceded her entrance into the room. She put a hand on my arm.

"Stop doing this to yourself. Listen to her heart. That can't be wrong."

I covered her hand with my own and she gave me a squeeze. Then she frowned.

"But we can't leave her to wake up like this." Alice made a vague motion towards Bella's form and I suddenly remembered that she was naked.

"I'll handle this." Alice ordered, shooing me towards the door. _You have a visitor to see to. _The accompanying image of my daughter as well as a surge of tenderness coloured her thought.

My daughter, our daughter, Renesmee. I was overcome with a tearing need to see her. I didn't have to go far as Esme came up the stairs, carrying a small bundle in her arms. She smiled widely at me before handing the bundle to me.

"I thought you wouldn't want to leave Bella, so I brought her to you." She said, adding wordlessly, s_he's beautiful Edward, the best parts of you and Bella_. I gently moved the blankets to get a better view of Renesmee's face. The rest of the world fell away as I stared into the baby's eyes. Brown, chocolate brown, Bella's eyes. A colour I thought I wouldn't see again after Bella's change, and here they were duplicated in my daughter's face. Love for her flowered deep within me, another permanent change. I studied her features, wondering how someone so small could be so perfect. Her skin was pale but with a peach undertone, and seemed strong.

"Hello Renesmee. I'm your daddy." I greeted her. Renesmee gazed back at me a moment before breaking into a delighted smile. She cooed and waved her arms out to me, clearly wanting to be closer. I shifted her in my arms so that I was cradling her against my shoulder.

Her tiny hand rested on my neck and images abruptly filtered through my mind. I gasped as I saw my face come into view, looking strained but amazed. Then the image flashed to Bella. The horrors of the birth were undeniably there, nevertheless, her face glowed at the sight of Renesmee. Bella's mouth moved, then a sudden taste of blood, after that the image faded.

Staggered, I drew back to look at my daughter and found her lids were drooping. I tucked her into the crook of my arm. I would worry about the strange replay later. She looked so tiny, so innocent and almost instinctively I began to sing softly to her. I watched her as I sang, stroking her cheek. When I came to the end Renesmee's eyes fluttered open and looked at me almost expectantly. I kissed her forehead and began crooning the same tune again. When I finished a second time Renesmee's eyes remained closed. She was fast asleep. She burrowed into my arms. I carefully laid my finger over her chest so I could feel the beat of her heart.

Somewhere in the background Alice was rustling around Bella, and I could hear a faint argument downstairs. I kept my hand on Renesmee, hearing her heart beat in time with Bella's.

Two heartbeats intertwining. Beating in the two people I loved most and would do anything to protect.

**So, what did you think?**


End file.
